Concrete reenforcement



June 16, 1931. H. M. SMITH CONCRETE kaf-:ENFORCEMENT Filed Nov. 16. 1927 2 sheets-sneu 2 Petenfed June 1e, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT ol-Frce HARRY M. SMITH, F ELKHARTLINDIANA, ASSIGNOR TO WALTER F. BOSSERT, 0F

v LIBERTY, INDIANA CONCRETE REENFORCEMENT Application med November 16, 1927. serial No. 233,580.

My invention relates to metallic reenforcements for concrete and has particular reference to improvements in metallic reenforcements especially adapted for use in connec- 5 tion with concrete roads, floors, pavements and the like, my purpose,'generally speaking, being to provide a reenforcement which is relatively cheap and easy to produce and which is thoroughly reliable and eliicient in use. More particularly it is my purpose to provide reenforcement parts so constructed that they may be assembled into reinforcing units of practically any desired size and, shape.

It is also my purpose to provide means of a simple, inexpensive easily applied nature for securing the reenforcement parts of my invention in assembled relation.

During the construction of a concrete road, floor, pavement or the like the reenforcement 2o unit or units therefor constructed in accordance with my invention are adapted to be so supported that when the concrete hardens the reenforcement will be embedded therein in a predetermined position so as most effectively to reinforce the same, and it is my further purpose to provide means of a novel nature to so sup ort the reenforcement lunits that they will be held during pouring of the concrete and lduring the period required for it to 3o harden against movement from its predetermined position.

With the foregoing and other purposes in view, m invention consists in the novel features o construction, combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and defined in the appended claims. Y i

In the drawings, wherein like characters of 4e reference denote corresponding parts in the diEerent views Fig. 1 is a perspective view artly in section showing` o nemanner of using the reenforcement of my 1nvent1on 1n constructing a road, Hoor, pavement or the llke;

Fig. 2, a view similar to Fig.1 showing an-l other manner of using the reenforcement of I, my invention in constructingv a road, floor,

pavement or the like;

Fig. 3, a topplan lview showing. the manner in which the reenforcement units of my invention are assembled and the manner in which they are adapted to be arranged with respect to one another;

Fig. 4, a detail view showing the manner in which the reenforcement parts or unitsA are adapted to be connected together to form continuous reenforcements;

Fig. 5, a sectional view through a fragment of a concrete road, licor, pavement or the like e@ showing my reenforcement embedded there- 1n; l

Fig. 6, a detail perspective view showing the manner in which the reenforcement parts of my invention are secured in assembled relation;

Fig. 7, a perspective view showing I )ne form of supporting chair em loyed in connection with my improved reen orcement;

Fig 8, a sectional view showing another form lof supporting chair employed in connetion with my improved reenforcement; an

Fig. 9, a perspective view of the chair shown in Fig. 8. i

A reenforcement according to my invention is composed essentially of one or more metallic, preferably steel bars 10 of considerably greater depth than width in cross section and of any suitable or desired length, each bent throughout its length into a continuous series of substantiall V-shaped formations adjacent onesof which are disposed oppositely with respect to one another.

To form a reenforcement unit from two or more of tb bars 10 the bars are positioned side by side with the apexes of their V-v shaped formations a ainst one another'and clips 12, normally o vsubstantially C-shape, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 6 of the drawings, then are bent around Said apex portions as shown byfull lines in Fig. 6 to secure the bars to one another. Is this waythe bars 10 may be assembled into continuous reinforcement units of any desired width and of a length corresponding to the length of the bars 10 and if it 1s desired to connect two or more reenforcement units thus formed in end to end relation, so as to produce in effect a single reenforcement unitA continuous in length, this may be done, as illustrated inV rivets, by welding or by means of the clips 12. In such a continuous reenforcement structure which comprises a plurality of bar units spliced together as illustrated in Fig. 4 each element joint comprises an open V shaped terminal on one unit end and a po lygonal or diamond shaped terminal on the adjacent coacting unit to bring the related joint bars into parallelism to enable the operator to fasten them together by the application of the clips 12, or in any Aother suitable manner. This construction effects a series of element joints located in the same transverse section of each unit joint and atv substantially right angles to the side bars 14. Any reenforcement unit consisting essentially of. two or more of the bars 10 secured t0- gether in the manner stated by means of the clips 12 may be and preferably but not neces sarily is strengthened by a preferably continuous straight bar 14 bent to engage the sides and ends of the unit as shown in Fig. 3, the ends of said bar 14 being arranged in overlapping relation and secured in such relation by any suitable means such as rivets, by welding or by means. of the clips 12, the sides of said bar being secured by the clips 12 to the apex portions of the V-shaped formations ofthe bars l against which it is disppsed, and the end portions of the bars ing bent to lie flat against the inner faces of the end portions of said bar 14, as indicated at 16, and being secured thereto by the clips 12 or in any other suitable or desired manner.

My reenforcement units are adapted to be supported so that when cementitious material such as concrete is poured thereover and allowed to harden, the reenforcement units will become embedded in the concrete thus to reinforce the same, a simple yet efficient means of supporting the units consisting of chairs 18 constructed as shown in Figure 7, each comprising a preferably flat, circular base 20 and acolumn 22 rising' centrally therefrom,having formed in its upper end a recess 24 of any suitable depth and of sufficient width to receive a clip 12 when the latter has been bent to a position as shown in full lines in Fig. 6 fastening the apex p0rtions of the V-shaped formations of two adjacent bars 10 together. The reenforcement units are arranged in desired relation upon the bottom of the excavation or upon the sur-y face `over which the road, pavement or the like is to be constructed and the chairs 18 then are arranged at desired intervals beneath the units with abutting apex portions of the bars 65 10 of the units seated in theY recesses 24 of the chairs, the units thus being supported ata desired elevation above the surface over which the road, pavement or the like is to be constructed, so that when the cementitious material 26 is poured over the reenforcement units and allowed to harden the reenforcement units will become embedded in the cementitious material at apredeterminedheight, so as to most eiiiciently reinforce the same.

Under certa-in conditions the bars 10 constituting the reenforcement units may have a tendency to bulge upward at different points resulting in undesirable undulationsy in the units, and in order to assure that such undula tions shall not remain in the units after the concrete has been poured over them, I may employ chairs for supporting the units constructed as shown in Figures 8 and 9, the essential difference between the chair of Fig. 9 and the chair of Fig. 7 being that the former includes a tongue 28 adapted to be bent over the top of the bars 10 beneath which the body portion of the chair is disposed, so that the bars 10 cannot bulge upward or be raised without lifting the chair with them, it being manifest that when concrete is cured over a reenforcement unit supported y chairs as shown in Fig. 8, the weight of the concrete upon the relatively broad base of the chair will hold same against the surface over which the road, pavement or the like is being con'- structed and the reenforcement unit thus will be held at a predetermined elevationabove such surface, according to the height of the chairs, and even though the reenforcement units be normally bulged upward at different points, the pouring of the concrete thereover will act by its weight through the chairs to draw the bulged-portions of the lunit back to flat form and retain the unit in that form until` the concrete has hardened.A

A supporting chair having the advanta s of the chair illustrated in Figures 8 an 9 may be constructed in any desired manner. I prefer, however, to form same from two plates 30,4 30 secured together by rivets or other suitable fastening means and having their lower end portions 32, 32, bent outward to provide a relatively broad at base. One of the plates is reduced in width at its 4up r end to provide the tongue 28 while the otiir at a suitable height is bent outward as at 34.

to provide a seat for the reenforcement unit adapted to rest thereon, said portion 34 terminating in an upwardly directed tongue 36 iapted for coo eration with the tongue 28 asten the c air to reenforcement unit,Y

all as clearly shown in Figure 8 of thedraw-` ings. l t has been found in practice that a reenforcement constructed in accordance with Vtion under changing temperatures and thus insures long life of the structure. A road, pavement, oor or the like may be reinforced by a single continuous unit as described in connection with Fig. 4, or b a number of separate units arranged in en to endrelation, as shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings, the unit or units as the case may be, when employed in connection with `relatively narrow roads, pavements or the like being substantially the full width of the latter. j On the other hand if'the road, pavement ioor or the like is lrelatively wide, it may reinforced by two continuous units of the t 'n two series of separate units arranged side by side with the units of each series in end to end relation, as indicated in Fig. 2 of the drawings. Irrespective-of what arran ement of reinforcing unitsmay be'employe they enablelthe road, pavement -or the like to be poured at one and the same time .to its complete depth without sacrificing durability, `which manifestly is a vast imrovement over the present practice of pourl ing theconcrete insuperimposed layers, a

practice which has heretofore been deemed Anecessary to reduce the tendency of the concrete to crack due tochanging temperatures and which obviously results in a structure Which'is relatively weak in proportion to its thickness.

From the foregoin description'considered in connection "with t eaccompanyin drawings it is believed that the construction, the manner of use and the various advantages of my invention will be clearly understood. I desire to point out, however, that de artures from the structures herein illustrate maybe resorted to within the spirit and sco vof my in'enltion as deined in thepappende claims.

c aim: Y A

1. A reenforcement iinit'frconcrete consisting of a number of bars each 'bent to in- Y clude a plurality of substantially` V sha formations alon its length, said bars bem arran edlwith. t e apexpportions ofltheir' shape formations in abutting relation, clips bent around the abutting'apex portions of said bars securing them forcement unit, anda plur 'ty of chairs disposed beneath said reenforcement unit` and 1927 adapted to suppoiitisamge at an elevation, each of said chairs having a. seat thereon which is `lug which is adapted to be gether.

strength or sai toaether Vas la reen-V said reenforcement unit may be mounted upon said chairs as a reenforcement unit, and each of said chairs being rovided with a nt over the top of one of the bars of the reenforcement unit after arrangement of said unit upon said chair seat. .Y Y j u 2. Means for reinforc concrete consisting ofa plurality of reilxlilircing units each of said units consisting of a plurality of bars,

. the bars of said units beinlg bent into a continuous-series ofsubstantia y V shaped formations, the end portions of the bars of one unit being flared to effect an overlap 'ing relation with the reversed V formation o the bar ends of the adjacent unit, 'and means securing the overlapping end portions of said units to- 3. Means for reinforc' concrete consisting of a plurality of rein orcing units, each ,of said units consist-in' ofa Ylurality of bars rigidl secured toget er, e bars of said units in bent into a continuous series of l substantia y- V shaped formations, the end shown in Fig. 4 arranged side by side, or y poi-.tions of the bars of one unit being bent to orm an open Vo'n one unit and a substantial- -ly closed V on the adjacent unit, and clips for forcing units each of said imita composedl of a plurality of bars, the bars of said units being bent into a continuous series of substan-l tially V shaped formations, said Vunits being arranged end to end and havin joints initing saidl units one with anot er, each of which unit joints comprises a series of element'joints located in the same transverse section of such unit joint and each element joint including a semmai cooperating element on the other unit to effect parallelism betweentlie cooperating bar 1 sections of the adjacent joints.

5. A continuous structureY for reinforcing concrete consistin of a.Y plurality of reinforcing units, each o said lunits composed of a plurality of bars, the bars of said units being bent into a continuous series ofsubstantially` V sha ed formations, said units being arra e ,end to end and having joints uniting units one with another, each of which unit joints comprises a series of element joints located in the same transverse s ecti'on of such unit joint, and each element joint 1ncluding a'V shaped terminal on one unit and the reverse formation on the other unit to effeet parallelism between the cooperating bar sections of the" adjacent joints.

In witness whereof I have hereunto ailixed my signature this letthA day of November,

n HARRY M. sin'in.

on one unit and a'- iso 

